Printing device



July 15,1958 -IE.E.MAS1Y'ER"SON 1 ,84

- PRINTING DEVICE Filed Aug. 9. 1955.

To Paper Feed Device 38 r'\ 'FIG. 2.

mm/m.

EARL E. MASTERSON m ag 43 I "AGENT;

fifi ili nid Patented July 115, 1958 PRHNTENG Davies Earl E. Masterson,Eryn l'vlawr, Pa., assignor to Sperry Rand (Importation, New York, N. Y,a corporation of Delaware Application August 9, 19555, Serial No.527,26@

1] Claims. (Cl. 197-49) Another object of the invention is to provide anautomatic typing machine which may be readily controlled by a tapereading mechanism.

An additional object of the invention is to make an automatic typingmachine that is low in cost.

it is another object of the invention to provide a 7;;

typing machine which is very reliable in operation.

In carrying out the foregoing objects, a typing head is provided havingraised type elements thereon located in a helical path. As this typinghead rotates, each type element passes each of a plurality of discretespots on the paper, and printing may occur at any one of these spots byappropriately energizing a printing bar at the time the desired letterpasses the spot. Further details will appear as the descriptionproceeds.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side View of the machine.

Figure 2 is a top View of the device of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a developed View of the typing head 10.

In Figure 1, the typing head moves relative to the ribbon 11 which isfed by a spool 12 past a guide 13, then past the typing head 10, thenpast another guide 14 and onto the receiving spool 15 in the usual Way.The paper 16 is fed past the typing head ll), again in the usual way. Astriking member 19 is held against stops 20 by the return spring 23.Coil 21, in cooperation with armature 22, may overcome the tension ofthe spring 23 and drive the member 19 solidly against the paper 16causing it to press the ribbon 11 firmly against one of the typeelements on the typing head 10 and thus cause printing to take place atthe location of said type element.

The typing head it) is rigidly connected to and rotates with the rod 26.Rod 26 has threads 27 which mesh with the threads of a half-nut 28. Whenthe half-nut 5152 2a is in its normal position (the position shown onthe drawing), it causes the rod 26 to move laterally while it is beingrotated by gear wheel 24. The latter is keyed to the shaft or rod 26 soit will rotate the shaft but the shaft is free to slide through the gearwheel 24, as shown in Figure 2. The pitch of the threads 27 is such thatin response to each complete revolution of head 1%, the head 10 willmove laterally a distance equal to the distance between two parallelplanes that are perpendicular to rod 26, and respectively pass throughthe opposite ends of the helical series of characters, for example,through the letter A and the letter Z (in this particular case). As aresult, if the typing head 10 starts its operation at the left end ofthe apparatus and moves continuously toward the right end thereof, eachcharacter of the helical head 10 will pass each of a plurality ofdiscrete spots on paper 16. The paper remains stationary during thetyping of each line. Typing may take place at any one of these spots byappropriately energizing the coil 21 as the proper character passes thedesired spot.

At the right-hand end of shaft 26 there is a bearing 25 which is carriedto the right and/ or left with the shaft 26 but which does not rotatewith the shaft 26. Bearing has a carriage 36 carried with it, which inturn carries the electromagnet 37 of which coil 21 is a part. It followsthat striking member 19 is always facing the helical head 10.

The paper 16 is advanced upwardly by the space of one line at the end ofthe printing of the line. Means for doing this is conventional, forms nopart of the present invention, and is therefore not shown in detail. Adevice 33, which has a sprocket wheel, is shown for performing theupward stepping of the paper at the end of each line.

If it be assumed that typing takes place from left to right, the head 10would be at the left edge of the paper 16 (Figure 2) at the start of aline. As the shaft 26 is rotated, the threads 27 in conjunction withhalf-nut 28 will cause the shaft 26 to move toward the: right, carryinghead 10 and carriage 36 with it. The helical head will start at one end39 thereof, say with the letter A and make a first complete revolution.During this revolution each character on head 10 will pass the same spoton the paper 16. This is true since the pitch of the helix is so relatedto the pitch of threads 27 that this result inheres. During this firstcomplete revolution an impulse is picked up from tape 30 by pick-upmeans 32 at the time instant that the letter on head ltl which is to beprinted is approaching the printing position.

After the head 10 has made its first complete revolution, the forwardend 39 of helical head 10 will move in front of a new spot on paper 16which is spaced to the right of the first spot by the distance betweensaid two parallel planes which respectively pass through opposite endsof the helical series of characters. Each letter of the helical head It)now passes this second spot and the desired letter is typed on thesecond spot when an impulse from pick-up head 32 again energizes coil 21during this second revolution.

The tape 34?, which may be any known form of recording, such as magnetictape, motion picture film, punched paper tape, etc., has two tracks ofinformation thereon. Pick-up heads and 32 respectively sense the signalsstored on the two tracks. Pick-up head 31 furnishes sig nals to thesynchronous or servo-motor 33, whereby the latter drives the head it)(through gear Wheels 29 and 24) at a speed determined by the frequencyof the signals of the upper track of tape 30. Pick-up head Sll mayinclude an amplifier, or a separate amplifier may be in the motorcircuit. The lower track of tape 3t carries the information to beprinted, and pick-up head 32 energizes the coil 21 at the correctinstant to print the desired letter in each particular spot whereprinting is to take place. For example, if the letter A is to be printedin the fifth spot from the left end of the paper 16, when the typeelement A the pick-up head 32 will send an impulse to coil 21, energizethe latter and attract armature 22 and thus drive the striking member 19against the paper in. The paper will thus be printed in view of the factthat it will be pressed against the ribbon which is in turn pressedagainst the type element A of head it The two tracks of signals on tapeat are synchronized and in this regard it is noted that the upper trackmust be relied upon to place the typing head it? in a given positionwhen a particular impulse appears on the lower track.

on the head lltl passes that fifth spot The impulses which representparticular letters may be single pulses that are picked up by pick-uphead 32 and fed through filter at which will pass these impulses to coil21. An amplifier 41 may be used if not already included in pick-up head32. At the end of each complete line the tape may have a high frequencypulse which is rejected by filter 40 but which is passed by filter 4-2(which is designed to reject the pulses which are passed by filter 40),and amplified (if necessary) in amplifier 43. These pulses now flow tocoil 44 of electromagnet 45 and attract armature 46 to withdraw half-nut23 from contact with threads 27. This allows spring 4'7 to abruptly pullcarriage 36 and shaft 26 to the left and make them ready to start a newline. The output of amplifier 43 may also actuate paper feed mechanism38 to advance the paper 16 to a new line. As soon as the high frequencypulse on tape 30 terminates, spring of; returns half-nut 28 intoengagement with threads 27 and the apparatus is now ready to starttyping a new line. It is noted that the end of the high frequency pulseshould be properly timed with respect to the signals on the upper trackof tape 30.

I claim to have invented:

l. A printer comprising means carrying a series of type elements forprinting various characters, said type elements being located along ahelical path, means for feeding the medium on which printing is to beplaced past said meansymeans for substantially continuously rotating thefirst-named means about the axis of the said helical path and at thesame time moving the first-named means along said axis so that each typeelement will pass in substantially continuous succession past each of aplurality of spaced spots on the printing medium, and means operative atselected instants during said sub stantially continuous rotation forcausing selected ones of said type elements to print on said spacedspots.

2. A printer comprising a paper feeding mechanism for feeding paperalong a given path, a printing device having a periphery that rotatesadjacent said paper, said device having a series of type elementslocated thereon according to a helical path, means for rotating saiddevice and for moving it along its axis so that each type element passesin succession past each of a plurality of spaced spots comprising aprinting line on said paper, and means for selectively effectingprinting whenever a selected type element passes one of said spacedspots.

3. A printer comprising a paper feeding mechanism for feeding paperalong a given path; a printing device having a periphery adjacent saidpaper; said device having a series of type elements located thereonalong a helical path; means for rotating said device and for moving italong its axis a distance which, during each complete revolution, isequal to the space between two planes which are perpendicular to saidaxis and which respectively intersect the two ends of the helical path;and means for selectively bringing the type elements into printingrelation with the paper.

4. A printer as defined in claim 3 including means adapted to detectsignals on a record and to jointly control the rotation of the printingdevice and the means for selectively bringing the type elements inprinting relation with the paper whereby the recorded information may beprinted.

5. A printer comprising means carrying a series of type elements forprinting various characters, said type elements being located along ahelical path, means for feeding the medium on which printing is to beplaced past said means, means for rotating the first-named means aboutthe axis of the helical path, a threaded element for simultaneouslymoving the first-named means along said axis, the thread pitch of saidthreaded element being substantially the same as the pitch of saidhelical path whereby each type element passes in succession past each ofa plurality of spaced spots comprising a printing line on the printingmedium, and means for selectively moving the medium toward the typeelements to effect printing.

6. A printer comprising a rotatable device having type elements locatedthereon according to a helical path, means for substantiallycontinuously rotating said device about its axis while substantiallycontinuously moving it along its axis, and striker means mounted formovement parallel to said axis in synchronism with the axial movement ofsaid rotatable device for selectively bringing the type elements intoprinting relation with the object to be printed at selected instantsduring the rotation of said device.

7. A printer comprising a rotatable device having type elements locatedthereon according to a helical path, means for rotating said deviceabout its axis while moving it along its axis, the last-named meansincluding means which for each complete rotation of said device movesthe device along the axis a distance equal to that between two planesthat are perpendicular to said axis and respectively pass throughopposite ends of the helically disposed series of type elements, andmeans for selectively bringing the type elements into printing relationwith the object to be printed.

8. A printer as defined in claim 1 including pick-up means for reading arecording and accurately controlling the angular position of thefirst-named means as well as the exact instant at which the printingtakes place.

9. A printer comprising rotatable means having a series of type elementsmounted thereon along a helical path, means for substantiallycontinuously rotating the first-named means about the axis of saidhelical path and at the same time moving the first-named means, duringeach rotation thereof, along said axis by an axial distancecorresponding to the pitch of said helical path whereby each typeelement passes in succession past each of a plurality of spaced spotscomprising a printing line on the printing medium, the second-namedmeans including a threaded element and threaded stationary means whichengages the threaded element and causes the latter to move along saidaxis, and means whereby thetype elements are brought into printingrelation with the medium to be printed at the desired angular positionsof rotation to thus print desired characters.

10. A printer as defined in claim 9 in which the lastnamed meansincludes a striking member mounted adjacent said rotatablemeans andmovable in a direction parallel to said axis in synchronism with theaxial movement of said first-named means, whereby said striking memberfollows the motion of said rotatable means along said axis.

11. A printer as defined in claim 10 wherein said striking member iscarried by said threaded element in spaced relation to said rotatablemeans, and means for removing the said stationary means from contactwith said threaded element whereby said rotatable means as well as saidstriking member may he returned to a starting position at the beginningof a line.

12. A printer as defined in claim 11 including means for automaticallyreturning the said rotatable means as well as said striking member to astarting position when the said stationary means is removed from contactwith said threaded element.

13. A printer as defined in claim 12 including means for readingrecorded information and for controlling the angular position of thesaid rotatable means, the time of operation of the said striking member,and the removal of the said stationary means from said threaded element,according to the recorded information.

14. A printer as defined in claim 9 including means for removing thestationary means from contact with said threaded element andautomatically returning the rotatable means to the beginning of saidprinting line.

15. A printer as defined in claim 14 having in addition means forpicking up recorded information and utilizing such information tocontrol all of the following: the second-named means to determine theangular position as Well as the transverse position of the rotatablemeans, the third-named means to determine when printing will occur, andthe stationary means to determine when the rotatable means will bereturned to the beginning of said printing line.

16. A printer comprising means carrying a series of type elements forprinting various characters, said type elements being located along ahelical path, means forfeeding a medium upon which printing is to beplaced past said first-named means, means for rotating the firstnamedmeans about the axis of the said helical path and at the same timemoving the first-named means along said axis so that each type elementwill pass each of a plurality of spaced spots on the printing medium,and means for selectively moving the said printing medium toward thetype elements to effect printing, said lastnamed means being movabletoward a type element to effect said printing and also being movable ina direction parallel to said axis in synchronism with the motion of saidfirst-named means.

17. A printer comprising rotatable means having a series of characterprinting elements disposed along a 25 substantially helical path, aprinting medium adjacent said rotatable means, means for substantiallycontinuously rotating said rotatable means in a single direction Whileat the same time substantially continuously moving said helicallydisposed elements along the axis of said helical path thereby to movesaid elements along a printing line on said medium, whereby saidcombined rotational and axial movement of said helically disposedelements causes each of said series of elements to be moved insuccession past each possible character printiag location on saidprinting line, and means for effecting printing of selected ones of saidcharacters at selected ones of said printing locations on said printingline during said substantially continuous rotational and axial movementof said elements past said medium.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS567,365 Spivey Sept. 8, 1896 1,405,722 Siepmann et al. Feb. 7, 19222,067,821 Bell Jan. 12, 1937 FOREIGN PATENTS 187,386 Germany July 19,1907

